Don’t Expect Dakshineswar To Be Linked With Metro by December 2019

Kolkata: Metro Railway officials made it clear that even if the 250-metre stretch between Dakshineswar and Noapara -occupied by 202 encroachers (along with families) -is handed over by December 31 this year, it would take two more years to commission the project.

In the first phase, the state has constructed 50 houses on the plot and a lottery will be held on Saturday to select those who would move in. As more houses are constructed, others will be accommodated.

For years now, Metro officials have been seeking the state government’s assistance in getting encroachments removed. Finally , chief minister Mamata Banerjee took the initiative and allocated funds for rehabilitation of the encroachers. Under this scheme 148 families in Baranagar were rehabilitated.

Similar plans were made for the 202 families at Rajiv Nagar in Kamarhati but many of them moved court, claiming that the land they were offered is unsuitable.

The state government is also keen to resume construction of the stretch from Baranagar to Barrackpore. This work can resume only after the link till Baranagar is completed. Even the Centre has given thrust to the Noapara-Baranagar-Dakshineswar, including Baranagar-Barrackpore project recently . It has been made very clear that funds won’t be a constraint once work starts- according to an official sources.